Spray device for showers,faucets,and the like



Aug. 18, 1970 A. M; SAMUELS ET AL 5 SPRAY DEVICE FOR SHOWERS, FAUCETS, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 "if? a 4 4 w -y 3. Em Vm u Whm WWW AF Aug. 18, 1970 A. M. sAMUEL's ET AL 3,524,591

SPRAY DEVICE FOR SHOWERS, FAUCETS, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,524,591 Patented Aug. 18 1970 3,524,591 SPRAY DEVICE FOR SHOWERS, FAUCETS,

AND THE LIKE Abraham M. Samuels, Wilmette, and Eugene B. Shapiro,

Highland Park, Ill., assignors to Chicago Specialty Manufacturing Co., Skokie, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 749,864 Int. Cl. E03c 1/084 U.S. Cl. 239-4285 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spray device for showers, faucets, and the like, mounted for swiveling movement and which has an axially slidable means for selectively producing either an aerated stream of water or a needle spray of generally cylindrical shape.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the invention attached to a water pipe and in aerator position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but in spray position.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view at the discharge end of the unit.

FIG. 4 is a central sectional view in aerator position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but in spray position.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 4.

The unit includes a stem, preferably made of plastic, generally indicated at 10, which has a central bore or passageway 12 which terminates short of the lower end of the stem. The bore 12 communicates with four equally spaced radial openings 14. The lower end of the stem has a decreased circumferential portion 16 forming a shoulder 17. A circular slot or groove 18 is formed in the lower end of the stem. The outer surface of the upper end of the stem is ball-shaped as at 20. A shoulder 22 is formed in the stem which serves as a stop means for the axially slidable unit generally indicated at 23 which includes a spray cap 24 and a spray body 26 joined together.

The spray cap 24 has a central opening 27 which defines a hub portion 28 whereby it fits on the stem for sliding movement. An annular recess 29 is provided in the hub to receive an O-ring 30. The spray cap has four spaced fingers 32, each of arcuate shape, depending into the cap but spaced from the hub 28. Each finger has a notched portion 33 to permit the spray body generally indicated at 26 to be secured thereto. The spaces 35 between the fingers 32 provide passageways for the flow of the water, as will be subsequently described. The cap has an annular depending skirt 36 spaced from the depending fingers 32. Extending outwardly of the skirt and spaced therefrom is an outer wall 37 having an outwardly curved outer surface.

The spray body 26 has a fiat top wall 38 provided with a central depending portion 39 which is recessed as at 40 and which has a central opening 41 to slidably engage the stem 10. The recess 40 receives an O-ring 42. Extending upwardly of the top wall 38 are four spaced fingers 44, each of arcuate shape, similar to the fingers 32. Each finger 44 is notched as at '46 to engage the notch 33 of finger 32 to lock the spray body 26 t0 the spray cap 24 so that they both operate as a unit. If desired, the spray body and spray cap may be Welded or otherwise secured together. The fingers 44 are spaced to coincide with the spaces 35 so that the water may pass through the passageways thereby provided.

A vane member generally indicated at 45, having a top plate which has a central opening and a plurality of radially depending vanes 45', is positioned on the stem 10- to rest on the top wall 38 of the spray body 26. The vanes 45' will direct the flow from the radial openings 14 to chamber B when the device is in the position shown in FIG. 5.

The spray body 26 has a depending annular wall 47 which is enlarged adjacent its lower end as at 48 to engage the skirt 36 of the spray cap. The enlargement 48 is provided around its outer circumference with spaced generally vertically extending slots 50 which extend slightly angularly outward from the vertical axis. The wall 47 is provided with an inner annular groove 52 which receives an O-ring 54. The inside of the wall 47 of the spray body is in sliding engagement with a spray separator body, to be presently described.

Secured to the lower end of the stem '10 is a retainer member generally indicated at 56-, having a top wall 57 provided with a central opening 58 which engages the reduced end 16 of the stem and is held locked to the stem by a retaining ring 59 in the groove 18 of the stem. The top wall 57 has spaced slot openings 60. Depending from the top wall 57 is an annular wall 61 which is externally threaded as at 62 for threaded engagement with the shell generally indicated at 64. The shell is formed preferably of brass and is internally threaded as at 65 at its upper end for engagement with the threads 62. The lower end of the shell 64 has an inwardly extending flange 66 which defines an enlarged outlet opening 68. Spaced radial slots 69 are provided in the shell which serve to permit the air to enter into the shell.

Positioned inside the shell 64 is a spray separator body generally indicated at 70. The spray separator body has a top wall 71 with spaced depending legs 72. The spaces 73 between the legs 72 provide passageways for the air entering the radial slots '69 in the shell. The top wall 71 has a plurality of spaced small openings 74 for passage of the water. Extending upwardly and laterally of the top wall are bosses 75 which engage the interior of the shell 64 and space the top wall 71, as well as the legs 72, from the inside of the shell to provide passageways 76 for the air entering the air slots 69. A washer 78 is positioned between the bottom of the retainer member 56 and the top of the spray separator body 70. A plurality of screens 80 (three being shown), spaced from each other by the annular rings 81 surrounding each screen are secured inside the shell between the legs 72 of the spray separator body 70 and the flange 66 of the shell 64.

A ball joint coupling unit 82 which is externally knurled is in engagement with the ball end 20 of the stem 10 and said nut is internally threaded as at 83 for threaded engagement with the externally threaded end 84 of the water pipe 85. A rubber gasket 86 is contained within the nut. The stem 10 may therefore be swiveled with respect to the pipe 85.

The retainer member 56, the spray separator body 70 and the shell 64 are maintained in a fixed position relative to the stem 10. The spray cap 24 and the spray body 26 are connected as a unit and as a unit are axially slidable or movable on the stem 10 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 5, so that said spray cap and spray body move relative to the shell and the parts connected thereto. By axially sliding or moving the spray cap 24 and spray body 26 into either of these two positions the discharge of the water is changed. For eX- ample, in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, an aerated stream of water is discharged, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a needle spray is discharged in cylindrical form, as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to the position of the parts shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, wherein the spray cap 24 is moved upwardly into engagement with the stop means 22 and the air inlet slots 69 in the shell are uncovered, the water will pass from the water pipe 85 through the central bore 12 of the stem 10 and will pass through the radial openings 14 into the enlarged chamber A between the spray body 26 and the retainer member 56. It will then flow through the openings 60 of the retainer member 56 into chamber B between the retainer member 56 and washer 78 and from chamber B will pass the central opening in the washer 78 into chamber C below the washer into and through the openings 74 in the spray separator body 70 and downwardly through the screens 80. Simultaneously, air will enter the slotted air openings 69 and pass into the space 76 and enter chamber D through the spaces 73 between the legs 72 to mix with the water passing downwardly through said chamber D to aerate the water and produce an aerated stream which is discharged through the opening 68 in the shell.

To produce the cylindrical-shaped needle spray as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the unit comprising the spray cap 24 and spray body 26 is slid downwardly on the stem 10 to where the spray body 26 engages the retainer member 56 and the spray body 26 will cover the slot openings 69 in the shell 64. In this position the chamber E which is between the spray cap and spray body will be in communication with the radial openings 14. The water will then not pass through the interior of the shell and screen but will flow as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5. The water will pass through the bore 20 of the stem 10, through the radial openings 14 into the upper chamber E between the spray cap and spray body, into and through the spaces 35 between the spray cap and spray body, and downwardly through the passageway 90 and through the vertical slots 50. In this flow the needle spray is outside of the shell and around and surrounds the shell and is of cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 2. It circumvents the inside of the shell and the screens therein.

By a simple axial sliding movement of the spray cap 24 and spray body 26 as a unit on the stem 10, two different types of sprays can be produced. The axial sliding is done manually by a persons hand.

It will be understod that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for attachment to a water pipe for selectively producing either an aerated stream of water or a needle spray of generally cylindrical shape, said device comprising a stationary stem having a water passageway,

a shell fixedly and stationarily secured to said stern, said shell having an air passageway for air into the interior of said shell, screen means supported in said shell, a member positioned above said shell and axially slidable on said stationary stem and slidable relative to said stationary shell, said slidable member being slidable upwardly to uncover the air passageway and when in such position the water will flow through the interior of the shell and through the screens and will be aerated by the air entering the air passageway to produce an aerated stream, and when said slidable member is moved downwardly relative to said shell to partially cover said shell the flow of water will be exteriorly of and around the shell to produce a needle spray of cylindrical shape.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the slidable member comprises a spray cap and a spray body connected together to slide as a unit.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the slidable member has spaced openings between the spray cap and spray body through which the water is discharged in a needle spray in a cylindrical form.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the stem has radial openings which communicate with either a first or second chamber formed by said slidable member, dependent upon the position of the slidable member, and when in communication with the first chamber the water will flow through said chamber and produce a needle spray of cylindrical shape, and when in communication with the second chamber the water will flow therethrough and through the shell to be aerated and produce an aerated stream.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a spray separator member having a plurality of openings for passage of the water is positioned inside said shell, with the water passing through said openings adapted to flow through said screens, with the air being admitted to the interior of said shell.

6. A device as set forth in claim '1 in which a spray separator member is secured inside said shell, with passageways through said spray separator member for the flow of water through the shell.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which an air passageway is provided in the shell between the spray separator member and the shell.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the slidable member comprises a spray cap and spray body having discharge openings for discharging the water in a needle spray in cylindrical form.

9. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the slidable members comprise a spray cap and a spray body in which the spray cap has spaced depending members which interlock with spaced upstanding members in the spray body and permit the flow of water between said spaced interlocked members.

10. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the stem is ball-shaped and is retained in a ball joint coupling connected to a water pipe to permit swiveling of said stem relative to said water pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,286,935 11/1966 Corlett et a1. 239-4285 M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner GENE A. CHURCH, Assistant Examiner 

